This invention refers to an improvement to a furniture hinge of the type having a plurality of arms hinged to one another to form an articulated kinematic chain, which is disposed between an element, or base, to be secured to the furniture unit and an element, or cup, to be secured to the door. In particular, such a hinge can be of the known seven-pin type.
One of the problems of the known hinges with several pins is the problem caused by the empty spaces, in a crosswise direction with respect to the width of the hinge, existing between one component and the other. The dimensions of these spaces vary, even considerably, during the opening and closing of the hinge; and are a consequent danger for the fingers which can become accidentally trapped in the mechanism.
In the hinges of the known technique, attempts are made to minimize the maximum aperture left between one component and the other, by carefully designing the elements and the kinematic mechanism, and by providing for example wide side walls on the arms. This type of measure, however, has limits defined both by the kinematic mechanism of the hinge and by considerations of an economic and aesthetical nature. Due to the relative movements that the various elements must perform, there is obviously a reciprocal limit to the dimensions of these elements. Moreover, the greater the lateral extension is, then the need for material and the cost will increase proportionately, as will the negative aesthetical impression of excessive bulkiness. Consequently, in the hinges of known technique, and especially in the case of wide-opening hinges, there inevitably still remain dangerous gaps wide enough to accidentally trap the fingers.
The general scope of this invention is to obviate the aforementioned problems by providing a wide-opening multiple-pin hinge, which although being low in cost and having limited lateral dimensions of the movable parts, has obstructions to prevent the fingers from being inserted between said movable parts, so as to avoid any danger of shearing.